


Preparing

by orphan_account



Series: The Sire Bond Series [3]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst and Feels, BAMF Magnus Bane, Emotional Hurt, Fear, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt Simon Lewis, Imprinting, M/M, Pain, Protective Raphael, Restraints
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-01
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-16 17:59:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11834037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: "When did you plan to tell me we were doing this tonight?"pre·pare (verb)— make someone ready or able to do or deal with something(NOT A STANDALONE. Please read parts one and two before reading this fic.)





	Preparing

**Author's Note:**

> Since everyone was so patient between the release of Imprinting and the release of Strategizing, I thought I would hurry up and post part three as soon as I could. I don't know when part four will be up, and I know you're all _suffering_ through the days without updates, but just sit tight and I'll put up part four as soon as I can.

The front door to the Hotel Dumort slammed open with a thud that set all the vampires sitting in the lobby on high alert. As one Magnus Bane entered their territory like he owned the place, they all lost their tough exteriors and became stunned at the sight of Brooklyn's high warlock.

"Where is Raphael Santiago?" he asked nobody in particular in an unnecessarily threatening tone, knowing he'd get an answer from somebody immediately. Sure enough, as soon as his question was asked, a younger looking vampire pointed to the stairs and held up four of her fingers. Magnus flashed her his cat eyes as a sign of gratitude and rushed up to his destination, calling out "Where are you, Raphael?"

Raphael sped up to stand in front of his warlock friend, hissing out "Keep your voice down. You're the one who made me promise not to tell Simon that you would be coming, yet you decide that parading yourself in here yelling my name where he can hear is a smart idea."

Magnus looked Raphael up and down before rolling his eyes painfully slowly. "Well there's not much that Simon can accomplish now that I'm standing right here, is there?" Magnus asked and gave Raphael another look, taking the bag off his shoulder and pulling out what looked like a tranquilizer dart. "Now, where is our little fledgling?"

"You're going to tranquilize him? Magnus, I'm almost positive he'll go with you willingly. I doubt a tranquilizer will do us any good beyond having to carry him up three flights of stairs instead of having him walk," Raphael said and took the dart from Magnus's hand.

With a childish pout, Magnus took back the dart and returned it to it's bag. "I never get to use the tranquilizer," he complained with a huff and looked up at the ceiling when he heard footsteps. "Is that him?" he asked and turned his eyes to Raphael, biting his lip as the vampire nodded and rushed upstairs. Magnus followed along behind him at a casual pace, not really one for running where he could avoid it.

Raphael caught Simon sitting on his bed in his room, staring down at his hands in what looked like pure anguish. Raphael took one step closer before Simon asked in the most deadpan voice he could apparently muster at the moment "When did you plan to tell me we were doing this tonight?"

Raphael swallowed through the lump in his throat (which was there not from emotion, but from stress) and said "I didn't know until about fifteen minutes ago."

"Then you should have told me fifteen minutes ago!" Simon said as he stood up, refusing to look at Raphael. The clan leader sighed and said "Magnus told me not to tell you, because-"

"What, were you afraid I would run?" Simon asked, cutting off Raphael as he unclenched his fists."Where would I have gone? To the Institute that I almost killed people in two hours ago? The house that my mom lives in where I'm not welcome anymore? The Jade Wolf where I'd only cause an even bigger scene?"

Simon finally looked up at Raphael, and the senior vampire saw that Simon's words weren't coming from anger- they were coming from fear.

 _Terror_ , even.

"Fledgling, please, just listen to me-"

"I'm not mad. And I'm still going through with this," Simon said as a tear rolled down his cheek. "But I'm scared, and I thought you cared about me enough to tell me exactly what was going on. I guess you don't after all," he muttered and rushed out of the room, bumping shoulders with Raphael as he walked out. Raphael stared after Simon as he walked out, cursing at himself and following the younger boy.

By the time he caught up to Simon, Magnus was already explaining to him details of the bond shift that Raphael hadn't been aware of. Raphael could tell that Simon was putting on a brave face, and Raphael understood why as he stepped within earshot.

"-and you'll have to lay there while she does it. There's nothing I or Raphael can do to help you while she does, you'll have to face it on your own," Magnus explained as Simon's legs and hands shook in fear.

"He'll have to do what?" Raphael asked, burying his fears skillfully and crossing his arms in front of his chest. Magnus and Simon both looked up at him in unison, Simon looking away immediately while Magnus put a comforting hand on the young vampire's arm before explaining everything that Raphael didn't know.

"Whenever he's close to going feral, he'll see a vision of Camille trying to make him call off the shift. It won't be the real her, it'll be a hallucination made by the part of his chemistry that craves his initial sire. When he refuses, and we trust that he will, the hallucination will take physical action to try and get him to back out. She can beat him, bite him, choke him, whatever she chooses to do. It's up to Simon alone to resist her."

Raphael looked at his future sired with concern and said "There's nothing I can do to stop her? Absolutely nothing?"

"You can comfort him with your words, and only your words," Magnus said to Raphael. "Don't go any closer to him than I allow you to, or the ritual won't work. No matter how much pain he's in, don't touch him. It'll set back all the work he's done up to that point and pull him back to humanity and he'll have to endure all that pain and suffering over again. We don't want that for him. Understand?"

Raphael held back a hiss and nodded, hating that Magnus was stating the obvious to him as if he were a child. Though, even at the moment before the ritual was taking place, Raphael found it hard to resist the urge to reach out to Simon and set a soothing hand on his shoulder. The boy looked like he needed the reassurance, judging by the paler than average sheen on the teen's face. Magnus seemed to notice Raphael's concern for Simon, reaching out to comfort him in his place. But the fledgling resisted with a chilling snarl, immediately putting his hands over his mouth as if that would take back the clear threat he had just made. Raphael was poised to yell the boy's name as if he were punishing a dog, but Magnus seemed utterly unfazed by Simon's anger.

"Well, that just strikes me as a surefire sign that we should get this ball rolling," Magnus noted and clapped his hands together, Raphael and Simon both jumping when a spark of magic slipped out from between the warlock's hands.

"I'll take you up to the lounge where it happened that day," Raphael said professionally with a nod and began to walk up the stairs, Simon trailing behind him almost too closely.

"Simon, can you please walk behind me?" Magnus asked casually and raised an eyebrow up at Simon. Simon looked back at Magnus with a pitiful expression on his face before nodding and stepping to the side to wait for the warlock to pass him. Magnus rushed up to Raphael, putting a hand on his shoulder and ignoring the whiny sound Simon made below them.

"One human sized space minimum between you and Simon at all times, from now until we start the blood ritual," Magnus told him and patted his shoulder sympathetically. Raphael nodded and opened the door to the lounge, looking at all the vampires sitting casually inside. It broke his heart that they were all unaware of the current circumstances, but telling them would only make things seem more panic-worthy than they already were.

"Clear out, immediately," Raphael commanded, and within seconds the room was left empty. Simon watched them all leave with a sad expression, wishing at least one of his clan members could stay to provide him with even the slightest comfort. Magnus walked to the middle of the room and moved any furniture out of the way, save for a single table that he began to wrap restraints around. Simon saw the restraints and chewed on his bottom lip nervously, taking a half step closer to Raphael. Raphael didn't acknowledge the movement beyond stepping away an equal amount to make up for Simon's step.

Within a few minutes, the table was securely set with three full body restraints as well as two smaller ones for Simon's wrists. Raphael cringed as he imagined Simon laying on the table, writhing in agony at whatever the hallucination of Camille decided to do to him. Simon didn't look any better off, looking as though he was going to be sick as Magnus beckoned him closer solemnly.

"Please, Magnus, just.. Let me touch him one more time before we do this. I need it, please," Simon begged, and Raphael had never seen the boy look more terrified. Not even the night that he had first been taken to the Dumort, with a bleeding gash on his forehead and his still mundane heart pounding away in his chest. Magnus looked from Simon to Raphael a few times, sighing and saying "Just make it quick. We're running out of time."

Without a second of thought, Simon rushed over to Raphael and grabbed onto him, almost crushing the older man in a fierce and desperate hug. Raphael didn't hug him back, just laid a comforting hand on the back of Simon's head and stared straight at the wall across from them. He knew that if he looked at Simon he would lose his tough exterior, and that wouldn't help any of them at the moment. He held Simon close for as long as he could, before Magnus cleared his throat and set a hand down on the restraint table.

When Simon didn't let go, Raphael turned his head to press his lips softly to Simon's ear. "Time to go, _pobrecito_ ," he said and let his fingers tangle a bit in Simon's hair. Simon didn't let go right away, getting in a few final squeezes before stepping away from Raphael. It was then that Raphael saw the tracks of tears that had pooled at his fledgling's cheeks, as well as feeling the moisture on his shoulder where Simon had been crying into it. He didn't let it show in his face or posture, but the tears absolutely broke his heart and left him feeling a bit weak in the knees.

As Simon walked to Magnus and nodded, Raphael followed him just a few steps behind. The imprint bond was starting to affect him too it seemed, as he felt an intense craving for the feel of his own skin on Simon's. He figured it was good that the sire bond shift was starting now, because he wouldn't have been able to last another minute feeling the way he did in that moment.

Simon stripped down to his boxers (he shouldn't have even been wearing _those_ realistically, but he had insisted, and Magnus didn't want to argue) and laid down on the table, not able to take his eyes off Raphael as Magnus began strapping him down. One band over his ankles, one over his waist, and one across his chest. Magnus did his wrists last, giving the boy a remorseful yet encouraging look before walking over to Raphael.

"What distance are you to remain from him at all times?"

"One human sized space."

"When do you come and get me?"

"When he stops fighting his hallucination."

"Where are your blood and your grave dirt?"

"The safe, in my room. I'll text you the combination."

"What's Simon's favorite blood type? The least I can do is treat him to some of it after this is all over."

"B negative."

With a parting nod and a smile in Simon's direction, Magnus walked to the door and opened it. Before he exited, he looked over his shoulder and said "Raphael. No matter how much he begs and cries and screams and hisses, do not touch him. Don't even look at him if you can handle it. And use your words sparingly."

He didn't wait for an answer before leaving the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Raphael watched the door for a few seconds after it was closed before going and sitting on one of the misplaced couches, finding his book from the other day still sitting on the coffee table where he had set it down to listen to Simon play his guitar. He picked up the book and opened it to his bookmarked page as he listened to Simon breathe from where he laid on the table and stared up at the ceiling above him.

"Simon. Stop breathing," Raphael said and turned the page of his book, settling deeper into the couch as Simon's breathing slowly came to a stop and he relaxed. Raphael relaxed a bit as well at that, wondering if the process of getting Simon to go feral would be even easier than Magnus had implied.

Sadly, however, it was even harder than he had anticipated.


End file.
